Tag: vacation

Want to plan an Asian golf vacation but also need to make sure your non-golfing travel partners are happy? No problem. Below are some of the more popular non-golf activities to include on your Thailand golf holiday itinerary.

All Over ThailandMassage: Thai massage, Swedish massage, sports massage, foot massage, neck & shoulder massage, fish massage, aroma therapy, hot stone therapy and more. You are never far from a spa in Thailand. Most good hotels have them and you will find many more on the streets.

BangkokBest of Bangkok: Tour includes the Grand Palace, the city’s most famous temples and a long tail boat ride on the Chao Phraya River.

If the ball is near the green, the shot is very important, as a good chip will save par and a poor one will almost seal a bogey, or worse. To score low, I always try to knock it close from the really deep stuff. Knocking it close from there chops one or two strokes from my score and often saves par.

Here are a few ways I found that work to hit it close from the deep rough in Thailand:

1. Use a less lofted club and choke up2. Keep my hands in front of the ball 3. Put the ball slightly forward in my stance 4. Lean forward with most of my weight on my left foot 5. Use a fast swing to offset the club slowing down from the grass behind the ball.

Some Thailand golf professionals recommend using short irons from the deep rough. But that's very hard for the average golfer. It requires a very strong grip, a steeply descending blow, and strength. Plus, you can't release the club. Otherwise, you'll end up hitting a lot of grass and no ball.

The golf courses in Thailand have some very thick rough. For example, off the fairway at the Nicklaus designed Springfield Country Club in Hua Hin can wreak havoc for even the most accomplished golfers in Thailand. If you lie is near the green, the shot becomes even more critical as it can mean the difference between making a par, bogey or worse.

To score low, you must know how to get it close from the really deep stuff. Blue Canyon in Phuket and Thai Country in Bangkok are two Thailand golf courses known to sometimes keep the rough very tall, especially when the course is being prepared for a professional tournament. Knocking it close from these lies chops one or two strokes from your score and often saves par.

Here are four ways that I have found that work well from the deep rough:

1. Use one extra club and choke up2. Position your hands in front of the ball 3. Play the ball slightly forward 4. Use a descending blow

Some Thailand golfers like to use short irons from the deep rough. But that's hard. It requires a strong grip and strength. Plus, your release has to be perfectly timed. Release the club too early and you'll end up hitting a lot of grass and no ball.

Instead, I use a longer iron, with my hands in front of the ball, and the ball slightly forward of center. The ball will come out of the rough lower and with a lot of top spin (roll), but that beats a flubbed shot or a complete miss.

Before your next round of golf in Thailand head for the practice green and drop a few balls in thick stuff. Practice hitting from some tough lies. You'll be glad you did!

In my view, and I am sure many of you will agree, the best form of golf in Thailand is a ‘friendly’ four-ball, better-ball with three like-minded pals. The amicable banter and gamesmanship all go to make for a fun round, especially if there are a few bucks, or even the post-match round of drinks, riding on the result – in particular, in Thailand, if the caddies are encouraged to join in the wagering, say by doubling the tip of the caddies carrying for the winning pair.

Sometimes people are nervous about venturing on a Thailand golfing holiday when they are single travellers, particularly if it is their first visit here. Don’t worry: firstly, most of the golf courses will try to match you up with other players – indeed, many golf courses will not allow singletons to play because they know a customer who has to wait on every shot will, most likely, be an unhappy golfer. If you are travelling with a Thailand golf vacation company, they also will do their best to link you up with other clients of a similar level. I know of golfing visitors who have made life-long friends in this way., myself included